5/27 Pre-Departure Thoughts and Expectations

こんにちは！(Hello!)

This is officially my first blog post before heading off to Japan. Luckily I was able to afford this trip by combining my earnings from a part-time job last summer with scholarships (ASNAU GO, No Excuses, and the Karl Doerry scholarship) and parental contributions. Thank you so much! I still have 3 days until my parents drive me down to the Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, but the days feel like they're dragging on. The more excited I get, the slower the days seem to go. 

I first started wanting to go to Japan in middle school. I admit, I originally wanted to go so I could nerd out on anime to my heart's content. However, it wasn't until I hit college that I really started considering a trip to Japan. Like many people my age, I have a huge urge (I can't find a better word for this) to travel and see the world. When first hearing about all the different opportunities NAU offered for study abroad programs, I realized that I had a chance in finally seeing Japan. My roommate was actually the one who introduced me to this program - "NAU in Japan". I took a while to decide on whether to go or not, which mainly consisted of my parents insisting I go and me trying my best not to chicken out. I finally decided to go for it. I had saved up some money from a summer job, managed to receive some financial aid, and the trip to Japan is a go! 

The past month I've been watching all kinds of YouTube videos and reading articles/blog posts on the people, places, and things to do in Japan. My excitement levels are incredibly high right now. All of the study abroad students were told to come into the country without any expectations, however I think I ruined that part for me with all of these videos and articles. Of course, I'm pumped for some of the places in our itinerary - the Studio Ghibli museum, Nara (mainly 'cause of the deer), Osaka, and Miyajima island to name a few. Of course now, I have developed some new fears with this trip. 

The first and most obvious thing I'm scared about is the language barrier. I've taken Japanese 101 & 102, and while that's enough to ask where the bathroom is (very important), that's not enough to really interact with people. We will be staying with a host family for 2 days and although that's not a lot of time, I still want to make a good impression. And also, there's the thought of getting lost in Japan that's a little scary. I'm born and raised in a small town with a total of 2 stoplights. The biggest city I've ever been in for an extended amount of time is Flagstaff, and I've been lost several times just wandering around campus. Imagine me getting lost in Tokyo. 

There's also some cultural things that I'm a bit nervous about. From what I heard, America and Japan are incredibly different. A big part of it comes from America focusing on the individual over the group while Japan is the opposite. From the orientations that I've been to with my group for the upcoming trip, I can see that Japan has a lot more unspoken rules than America. From clothes to public appearance to the concept of omiyage (required gifts), I really want to make a good impression but I'm a bit afraid that I won't. 

My excitement is still greatly outweighing these hang-ups. I can't wait until I get to Abiko! I'll try to update this blog as much as I can while I'm abroad.  

Well, that's all for today! See you in Japan! :)